The sun had only just risen, and it was morning—the most vibrant time of day.
People had gotten dressed. Some were on their way to work, some were already working, while others wandered outside, chatting with one another.
From the First Ring to the Second Ring, vendors shouted enthusiastically as they prepared their goods. Many of them were itinerant merchants whose "shops" were actually carts. Some even had simple beds set up on their carts.
Men and women, the old and the young, gathered around their carts, waiting for food or drinks to be prepared. Farther out, slaves in plain, simple clothing often sat or stood around, staring eagerly and waiting for something.
But upon reaching the Third Ring, the streets suddenly became much cleaner.
Not only were the cart-pushing vendors gone, but so were the slaves sitting on the ground. There were far fewer people on the streets, and the shops lining them appeared much more refined and luxurious.
Then, in the very next moment, a ripple that was almost visible to the naked eye suddenly swept across the ground—
Many fragile pieces of pottery in the Second Ring burst apart almost simultaneously. People felt the ground sway beneath their feet; some suddenly fell, while carts and signs toppled over. In the First Ring, there was only a sudden, violent shaking. The water churned fiercely, overturning the baskets holding food and ingredients.
Yet the more prestigious Third Ring suffered a disaster several times worse.
The earth rolled and buckled, like milk covered in a thick layer of cocoa powder being gently shaken. The ground heaved, exposing deeper layers of gravel and sand. The barriers inside many shops flickered erratically. People walking in the streets suddenly fell, while trees throughout the city swayed and collapsed, and fragile buildings crumbled.
There